The Big Conversation Podcast: Educating children through long-term illness – Josh Pelled, CEO, Bright Futures UK
The Big Conversation: In conversation with the Children’s Commissioner and her youth Ambassadors is my podcast series where I share the voices and views of England’s children. The podcast draws on the themes in The Big Ambition and will focus on the most important issues that are impacting young people’s lives, with solutions developed with […]
Whistleblowing Report 2024-2025
The Children’s Commissioner is named in the Prescribed Persons Order 2014 as someone to whom whistle-blowers can raise concerns relating to the rights, welfare and interests of children. Whistle-blowing arrangements offer a framework of protection against victimisation or dismissal for workers who blow the whistle on criminal behaviour or other wrongdoing. Here you can find […]
The Big Conversation at the Labour Party Conference 2025
“I don’t think many adult leaders really listen to children. We are left out of decisions which impact our lives. When it comes to any sort of service, whether it is housing or education, it’s important that decision makers consider what children need and make these services children’s services, because children are everywhere in society,” […]
The legacy of Covid on children and the task ahead
This week, as hearings for Module 8 of the Covid Inquiry begin, we are reminded once again of the profound and lasting impact the pandemic has had on children’s lives. The Inquiry provides an opportunity to reflect not only on what happened, but also on how we can rebuild: ensuring that the legacy of Covid […]
A new youth advisory board to help shape the future of childhood
The Children’s Commissioner is recruiting a new youth advisory board for The Government Office for Science for children aged 14 to 18 to share their views on how childhood is changing and ideas on how to make children’s lives better. Application here. Help Shape the Future of Childhood Everyone should be able to have a […]
Reflecting on the success of the reading programme at Reach Academy Hanworth Park, Lily Staff
Lily Staff is the secondary English Lead at Reach Academy Hanworth Park, an all-through academy in Feltham, Hounslow. The school opened in September 2024 and is part of the Reach Schools Trust. Today Lily shares the early success of Reach’s reading programme which aims to support pupils resilience and fostering a love of reading. It has […]
School Census: Improving safety and accountability for vulnerable children
As Children’s Commissioner I have the privilege of speaking to and working with thousands of professionals supporting children in every aspect of their lives. I know first-hand how caring and dedicated the vast majority of them are, and how the relationships they build with children can be transformative. But I have also seen the other […]
Children’s Commissioner responds to HMIP review of conditions for children in custody
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “I am appalled at the latest findings from Charlie Taylor about conditions for children living in the secure estate. “For too long, decision makers have turned a blind eye to dangerous living conditions for young people living in custody. These are some of our most vulnerable children, with […]
Improving safety and accountability for vulnerable children
As Children’s Commissioner I have the privilege of speaking to and working with thousands of professionals supporting children in every aspect of their lives. I know first-hand how caring and dedicated the vast majority of them are, and how the relationships they build with children can be transformative. But I have also seen the other […]
“Children are attacking children” – trauma surgeon Professor Martin Griffiths CBE joins The Big Conversation
“The youth voice is critical to designing services that are appropriate for young people. Everyone listens, but can they hear?” Last year I visited the Paediatric Critical Care Unit at Royal London Hospital to see their life changing work and to meet Professor Martin Griffiths CBE, a consultant major trauma surgeon at Barts Health NHS […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on the Education Select Committee’s Solving the SEND Crisis report
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Children tell me how much they value their education, but where they need extra help to attend and engage in school, they want this to be easily accessible and available locally. I welcome this report’s focus on creating a broader and more inclusive education offer that responds to […]
Youth Voices: Schools supporting children
You should be able to attend a brilliant school, close to home and friends, that supports your needs. You should feel engaged and enriched at school, with fun, meaningful experiences that allow you to thrive. You should be encouraged to achieve academically and developmentally, and you should be supported to excel and succeed with great […]
Archived Content
Children will keep dying on our streets until there is a joined up public health response to gangs
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Saturday) publishing a report assessing how effectively existing infrastructure within local authorities is being used to deliver a public health approach to preventing gang involvement and youth violence. The Children’s Commissioner concludes that two years on from her last report into this issue and a year after […]
Detention of unaccompanied children arriving in Kent during 2020
This briefing looks at the immediate conditions unaccompanied asylum-seeking children faced after travelling to the UK, usually via boat, during 2020. Specifically, it focuses on the children who arrived at the Kent Intake Unit, where children’s identities are checked and their initial asylum claims are processed before they can be accommodated by local authorities. After […]
Our joint call on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill
The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, are jointly calling on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill. In a joint statement, the Commissioners say: “It is vital that the government […]
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Children’s Commissioner’s podcast: Lockdown, school and football
In the second episode of the Children’s Commissioner’s podcast, Anne Longfield visits a school in South London where she talks to students about how the first coronavirus lockdown affected them, both at home and at school and what impact it had on their education and relationships. She also hears about a programme called Football Beyond […]
The state of children’s mental health services 2019/20
This is my fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England, and my last as Children’s Commissioner. I started this series of briefings because of the torrent of stories I was hearing from children about needing mental health services that weren’t there for them. I wanted to examine the data […]
Damage to children’s mental health caused by Covid crisis could last for years without a large-scale increase for children’s mental health services
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Thursday) publishing her fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England. The analysis examines the progress that has been made over the past five years as well as looking at the impact the Covid crisis has had on children’s mental health. The […]
Roadmap to reopening schools
Policy briefing Ever since last August, the Children’s Commissioner has said “Schools must be the last to close and the first to reopen.” This is now a well-used phrase as parents, teachers, scientists, politicians and the media all recognise the massive impact that the lockdowns are having on children’s education, and even more importantly, on […]
Our joint letter with Solace urging the PM to set-out a roadmap to reopen schools
The Children’s Commissioner and Solace have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. *** Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to urge you to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. We welcome your personal […]
Too many at-risk children are still invisible to social care
Since March 2020 when schools closed at the start of the first national lockdown, more families have fallen into poverty and all the major risk factors to children – domestic violence, poor parental mental health, and alcohol/substance abuse – have heightened. At the same time there has been a significant fall (by 10% compared to […]